Citrus - Naartjie - Empress 20L

The genus Citrus is native to south-east Asia, occurring from northern India to China and south through Malaysia, the East Indies and the Philippines, and records of domestication go back to about 500 BC.

Citrus is big business in South Africa and we are the second-largest exporter of oranges, grapefruits and lemons in the world. Citrus is grown in three different climatic regions; the cool coastal areas of the Eastern and Western Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal, the semi tropical areas of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and tropical areas like Nelspruit and Letaba. The Sundays River Valley, north of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, is world-renowned for being able to produce almost any kind of citrus, thanks to both its special climatic conditions and its location in a valley, not too close to the sea. Despite its hot summers, which allow the area to produce fruit with high sugar content, the Eastern Cape is regarded as a cool citrus producing area, with the cold, frost-free winters assuring good colour development. Both of the above results in the excellent quality of the navel oranges and lemons it produces. The Sundays River Valley takes the traveller into an evergreen world of citrus trees, and in October when the trees are in full bloom, the warm air of the Valley is heavy with their perfume.

With the proper care, good cultural practices, and a favourable rootstock, a citrus tree is capable of producing fruit in excess of 50 years. One such example is the original Washington Navel orange brought first from Brazil to Washington D.C. - then to California - in 1873. One hundred years later it was still alive and producing fruit.